Harry's Sorting was :Pettigrew & Sorting Hat

[alhewison]

No: HPFGUIDX 37991

> Greg wrote:
> 
> <I think the common assumption among people is that the Sorting Hat
> takes what it sees and makes a decision based on that.  Is it not at
> all possible that the Sorting Hat's job for people like Peter is to
> force them to grow as people.>

> Jamie Lipton wrote

> We do see evidence of this in Harry's struggle with the Sorting 
Hat.  It  wants to place him in Slytherin so that he will accomplish 
great things, even though it doesn't seem like Harry is a very 
ambitious sort of person.

I had a slightly different understanding of Harry's Sorting. The hat 
was having difficulty placing him - but only mentioned about how 
Slytherin could help him achieve great things after he had said that 
he didn't want to go into Slytherin. There is nothing really to 
suggest that he would have gone to Slytherin were it not for his 
desperate request -  Dumbledore's speech about choices is only after 
Harry believes that he should have gone into Slytherin. IMO Harry's 
choice ensured that he went into Gryffindor, but he might have gone 
there anyway.
 
> The tendency of the Sorting Hat to sort by family is also apparent 
with all the Slytherin families.  And the fact that it originally 
wanted to put Harry in Slytherin makes me think he had relatives in 
that house - possibly Slytherin himself.  Of course, he also had 
relatives in Gryffindor, so that could go either way.

The fact that Harry appeared to have tendencies for 3 of the houses 
(I don't think that he has Hufflepuff tendencies - loyal, yes, 
hardworker, no!), meant that he was difficult to place. He may well 
have had family in different houses. However, Dumbledore seems to 
suggest that his Slytherin tendencies were due to the powers "given" 
to him by Voldemort, and thus not inherited traits. 

I keep wondering about Pettigrew and the Sorting. Let us suppose that 
he was a Gryffindor. Perhaps he has not yet shown any bravery 
(although I also think that cutting off your hand is brave - or 
foolhardy). However, the Sorting Hat could probably see inherent and 
as yet untapped seams of bravery. Perhaps this aspect of Pettigrew's 
character will eventually outshine any other characteristic. I guess 
I'm thinking of the sacrifice I believe he will eventually make to 
save Harry. This act of bravery would then be a compelling reason for 
him to be put in Gryffindor, even if for the first 35 years of his 
life, most wizards would only see a coward.

Ali